Doctors and drug companies are locked in “vicious circle”

A radical new approach to paying drug companies should be introduced—rewarding them for improving health rather than maximising sales, the UK parliamentary health committee has been told.

The proposal, by Healthy Skepticism, an international watchdog group based in Australia that is concerned with misleading drug marketing, was put to committee members during a week long visit to Australia that ended last week.

The MPs met doctors, academics, and drug companies and other groups as part of their inquiry into the influence of the drug industry. They also held meetings related to previous inquiries into child migrants and HIV and AIDS.

Dr Peter Mansfield, director of Healthy Skepticism, said in a memorandum given …